This week, the Coalition Against Socialized Medicine (CASM), a leading alliance of conservative and free-market organizations, made a decisive call to action by sending a letter to congressional leadership urging the passage of the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act. In their letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, CASM emphasized the urgent need to repeal the Biden administration’s so-called “Pill Penalty,” a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that has led to increased drug costs, fewer treatment options, and stifled medical innovation.
The EPIC Act, introduced by Representatives Greg Murphy, M.D., Don Davis, and Richard Hudson, aims to counteract the harmful effects of the IRA’s government-imposed drug price controls by restoring free-market incentives for pharmaceutical research and development. CASM’s advocacy for this legislation underscores the broader conservative push against federal overreach and market intervention in the healthcare industry.
The Biden Pill Penalty: A Threat to Patients and Innovation
In its letter to Congress, CASM did not mince words in condemning the IRA’s impact on Medicare and the pharmaceutical market. The coalition warned that the Biden administration’s so-called “negotiation” program for drug pricing is, in reality, an arbitrary government-imposed price-setting scheme that restricts patient choice, drives up Medicare Part D premiums, and discourages investment in groundbreaking medical treatments.
According to CASM, Medicare Part D premiums surged by more than 21% between 2023 and 2024 due to the IRA’s price controls, while the number of available prescription drug plans has dwindled to less than half of what was available when the program first launched. The result? American seniors are paying more for fewer options at the pharmacy counter.
Perhaps most alarming, the IRA’s provisions actively discourage investment in small-molecule drugs, which are often taken in pill form and provide essential treatments for millions of patients. The IRA’s policy skews incentives in favor of complex biologic drugs, limiting future pharmaceutical breakthroughs and jeopardizing America’s long-held leadership in medical innovation.
The EPIC Act: A Necessary Course Correction
CASM is making the case that the EPIC Act is the first essential step in reversing the IRA’s damage and restoring free-market principles to the healthcare sector. By repealing the Biden Pill Penalty, the legislation would eliminate the federal government’s preferential treatment of one class of drugs over another, ensuring that research and development decisions are driven by medical necessity rather than bureaucratic manipulation.
“The IRA’s price controls represent central economic planning at its worst,” said CASM Executive Director Andrew Langer in a statement accompanying the coalition’s letter. “Government intervention in the marketplace has never resulted in lower costs or better outcomes for patients—only reduced innovation and economic decline. The EPIC Act is a crucial step in preserving America’s leadership in medical research and ensuring that patients continue to benefit from the latest life-saving treatments.”
A Broader Fight Against Socialized Medicine
CASM’s advocacy for the EPIC Act fits into a larger conservative effort to push back against what it sees as creeping socialized medicine in America. The coalition, which includes organizations such as the Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), the Center for Individual Freedom, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, has long been vocal in its opposition to government intervention in the healthcare market.
The coalition argues that price controls, like those imposed under the IRA, inevitably lead to supply shortages, reduced investment in cutting-edge treatments, and ultimately, worse outcomes for patients. Instead of relying on heavy-handed regulation, CASM supports market-driven solutions that foster competition, expand consumer choice, and incentivize pharmaceutical innovation.
What’s Next?
As lawmakers consider budget reconciliation this spring, CASM is urging them to include the EPIC Act as a critical measure to reverse the damage caused by the Biden Pill Penalty. The coalition’s letter to congressional leaders is part of a broader campaign to mobilize grassroots support for the bill, encouraging lawmakers to stand against government overreach in healthcare.
With healthcare costs continuing to rise and innovation under threat, the stakes could not be higher. CASM and its allies are committed to ensuring that the EPIC Act gains the support it needs to pass, restoring free-market principles and protecting American patients from the unintended consequences of government price controls.
